In a report published on ​Di Marzio's official website, the journalist suggests that the deal is done and the Brazil international will be moving to Old Trafford this summer. United manager Jose Mourinho is reported to be excited at the prospect of a midfield comprised of Fred, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.

Di Marzio also claims that United considered making a move for highly-rated Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, but opted to move for Fred instead as they felt the 23-year-old Serbian international would be too expensive.

As Mourinho looks to improve his United squad ahead of the new season, there could be one or two players leaving the club to make way for fresh faces. One such player is left back Matteo Darmian, who Di Marzio claims is edging closer to a move to Italian giants ​Juventus. United are reportedly interested in Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic, although there is no suggestion as of yet that they could use Darmian as a makeweight in any deal for the Croatian forward.

Finally, Di Marzio's report also suggests that Mourinho could make a shock move for ​West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic, who he worked with for a year at ​Internazionale. Arnautovic scored 11 Premier League goals last season following a £25m transfer from ​Stoke.

Fred, 25, has made over 100 appearances for Shakhtar since joining the Ukrainian giants from Brazilian outfit Internacional in 2013. Should Di Marzio's report prove accurate, the midfielder will be United's first major signing this summer as they look to challenge local rivals Manchester City for next season's ​Premier League title.

How much do you know about football culture around the world?

What common practice do Japanese fans do after games?

Which league are you not allowed to drink alcohol during the game?

Which country has not qualified for the World Cup this year?

What is the capacity of the San Siro stadium?

Which season did Leicester City surprise the world and win the Premier League?

90min is a global football media and technology company focused on the digital generation. 90min taps into the passion and dedication of the hyper-connected fan by powering the production of authentic, engaging and socially driven content distributed to a rapidly growing audience of over 70 million monthly users in 11 languages across web, mobile and social...